New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcelbupi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct New Guinea impatiens cultivar named Balcelbupi, characterized by its large blush pink flowers, dark green foliage, compact upright and mounded habit and excellent basal branching.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct New Guinea impatiensplant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Balcelbupi’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breedingprogram during 1997 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new cultivars with numerous, largeflowers, excellent basal branching and upright medium growth habit.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balcelbupi’ was ‘Moorea’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 9,147) characterized by its compact growth habit, pure white flowersand medium green foliage. The male (pollen) parent of ‘Balcelbupi’ wasthe proprietary Impatiens hawkeri cultivar designated ‘50-4’(non-patented) characterized by its compact habit, pink flowers and darkgreen foliage. ‘Balcelbupi’ was discovered and selected as a floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in December of 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings hasdemonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as hereindescribed are firmly fixed and retained through successive generationsof such asexual propagation. The new cultivar was asexually reproducedin Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:

(a) Exhibits large round blush pink flowers,

(b) Forms dark green foliage,

(c) Exhibits a good basal branching character, and

(d) Exhibits a medium, upright mounded growth habit.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared to both itsfemale parent ‘Moorea’ and Celebration Blush White (U.S. Plant Pat. No.8,538). When compared to ‘Moorea’ it is found that the new cultivar haslarger flowers, smaller leaves, longer internodes and shorter spur. Whencompared to Celebration Blush White, the new cultivar is more compact,has shorter internodes, smaller leaves and larger flowers of a darkerpink color. A detailed comparison can be found in Table A, below.

Distinctive Characteristics: Characteristic ‘Goldenglossy’ ‘Sherwoodii’‘Conti’ ‘Sunrise’ Height (Mature) 3-4′ 3-4′ 1 ½′-2′ 3-4′ Width (Mature)4-5′ 4-5′ 4-5′ 4-5′ Growth Habit Compact Compact Ground Compact coverLeaf Length ¾-1 ¼″ ¾-1 ¼″ ¾-1″ ¾-1″ Leaf Width ⅜-⅝″ ⅜-⅝″ ⅜-⅝″ {fraction(5/16)}-½″ Leaf Variegation Yellow Group None Greyed- Greyed- (Immature)10B Yellow Yellow G.160C G.160A Leaf Variegation Yellow-Green NoneGreyed- Greyed- (Mature) G.144A Yellow Yellow G.160C G.160A

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. The plants weregrown in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The ‘Balcelbupi’ cultivar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.The color values were determined on Aug. 30, 2000 between 1:00 and 1:45p.m. under natural daylight conditions. The following measurments anddescribe plants ten (10) weeks old and produced from cuttings taken fromstock plants and grown in 10 cm pots under greenhouse conditionscomparable to those used in commercial practice while utilizing asoilless growth medium and maintaining temperatures of approximately 72°F. during the day and approximately 65° F. during the night.

Classification:

Botanical.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Balcelbupi’.

Parentage: ‘Moorea’ (seed)×Proprietary seedling ‘50-4’ (pollen).

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip.

Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days with the shorter timesgenerally being experienced in the summer and the longer times in thewinter.

Time to develop roots.—Approximately 21 days.

Rooting habit.—Fibrous, branching.

Plant description:

Habit of growth.—Moderately vigorous with good basal branching. A matureplant, 8 to 10 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting, commonlymeasures approximately 18.4 cm in height and approximately 29 cm inwidth.

Plant form.—Upright and mounded.

Foliage.—Shape: Lanceolate; acuminate apex; attenuate base; ciliate andserrate margin Texture: Smooth, slightly pubescent on upper surfaceonly. Size of mature foliage: Approximately 6.8 cm in length;approximately 1.9 cm in width. Color of mature foliage: Upper surface is139A, with mid vein lighter than 53D; Lower surface is 137C with veinsof 53C Petiole: Length: approximately 6 mm, Color: 53D.

Stem.—Color178A. Internode length: Approximately 5.2 cm.

Flower description:

Flowering habit.—Freely flowering.

Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse environment.Flowering is continuous from spring until fall in the garden.

Bud shape, color.—Bud Shape: Ovate. Color: 55C.

Flowers borne.—Above foliage arising from leaf axils.

Quantity of flowers.—Approximately 1 flower and 4 buds per stem.

Flower size.—Approximately 7.1 cm in diameter.

Flower buds.—Length: approximately 2.1 cm. Width: approximately 1.3 cm.

Petals.—Number: Five, overlapping. Size: Superior petal length — 3.3 cm,superior petal width — 5.2 cm. Lateral petal length — 3.7 cm, lateralpetal width — 3.4 cm. Lower petal length — 4.2 cm, lower petal width —4.3 cm. Shape: obcordate with emarginate apex attenuate base and entiremargin. Texture: smooth and irridescent.

Flower color.—Light Pink. Upper surface of petals has a background of73D with fine venation of 73B overall and bases of 73A forming an “eye”;lower surface has background of 73D, fine venation overall of 73B,midveins and bases of 61B.

Spur.—Length: Approximately 4.7 cm. Shape: Sharply curved. Color: 60B.

Peduncles.—Length approximately 4.3 cm. Color: 178B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Five stamens. Anther size:Approximately 2.5 mm. Color: 39D. Anthers are fused together forming oneorgan that surrounds the pistil. Generally, the anthers shed pollenprior to the stigma becoming receptive. Pollen color: 19D. Gynoecium:Pistil number: One. Stigma length: >1 mm. Stigma color: 154D. Stylelength: 1 mm. Style color: 144A. Ovary length: 4 mm. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed development.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance.—Resistance to pathogens has not been observed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea impatiens plantnamed ‘Balcelbupi’ substantially as herein shown and described, which:(a) Exhibits large round blush pink flowers, (b) Forms dark greenfoliage, (c) Exhibits a good basal branching character, and